School Districts to Get Clean-Powered Buses

SACRAMENTO -- The California Energy Commission announced today that at least 52 school districts across California soon will get brand new low emission school buses to replace the old vehicles in their fleets.

The Energy Commission has approved agreements it had signed earlier with these districts that took part in the Low Emission School Bus Program. The agreements will allocate money from the program to the school districts, which in turn will buy the school buses fueled by either low-sulfur diesel or natural gas. In some cases, the Energy Commission will also assist in setting up natural gas fueling stations for the buses.

A total of 66 clean powered buses -- 37 powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) three by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and 26 by clean diesel -- will be procured by districts from Shasta County to Imperial County. (A complete list of districts and the buses each will get is attached).

"Amid the energy crisis, California is doing everything it can to reduce a school's power bills, whether for electricity or for bus fuel, "said Energy Commission Chairman William A. Keese. " The great thing about these school buses is that they are also safer for children and cleaner for the environment."

In the 2000-2001 State budget, Governor Gray Davis provided $50 million to the low emission program to continue the replacement or retrofit of school buses to improve the health and safety of school children.

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is running the $12.5 million retrofit program. The California Energy Commission will spend $7.5 million for the 66 clean powered buses and some fueling stations for the school districts within the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, Antelope Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the remaining air districts not specifically identified by the ARB to receive or administer their own school bus replacement funds.

The remainder of the program money, about $30 million, will be managed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Monterey Bay Air Pollution Control District, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Pollution Control District, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.

The idea is either to phase out or retrofit all aging buses throughout the State. More than 44 percent of school buses in California are older than 13 years, while 12 percent of the vehicles are more than 23 years old.